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Complaint Details
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Initial Complaint
02/22/2022
- Complaint Type:
- Customer Service Issues
- Status:
- Answered
I hired ***** Coker *** firm when I filed for divorce which was finalized on 8/31/21 according to ex-spouse. I emailed Atty. ******** ***** to verify. No reply, instead she asked for my address. I received Withdrawal of Atty of Record letter dated 9/22/21. Received my 9/2021 Statement on 10/15/21. I asked if it was my final bill. If so, I request my case file w/ the final dissolution doc. sent to me. No reply. I did not pay. Lawyer sent "Past Due Balance" of $1252.50 on 12/21/21. I replied with questions and reiterated that I haven't received case file or dissolution. I shared that DMV wants to see VIN on FL-180 Attachment to remove ex-spouse name form the 2010 Corolla title and I asked who will correct the doc (I got the FL-180 from QDRO Atty). Her 1st email reply: ",,depending on how title is held if is it and then you need his signature, if it is or you do not need his signature to transfer title. VIN numbers are not included in judgments anymore due to identity theft. You should have received your final dissolution documents, which I believe you did as we customarily serve that upon our client upon receipt. You should have a complete copy of your file as all documents we file get sent to the client and documents you provided us you obviously, have in in your possession." Her 2nd reply "Further, I am not offering a payment plan, I offered a reduction if your bill was paid in full immediately. If you are expecting us to copy your file again, then that reduction will be withdrawn as we are duplicating our work on your file." (The contract I signed says "after our services conclude, upon your request, we will deliver file to you") I paid $1000 and replied about Car Title: * ******** ******. I reiterated I haven't received the final judgement papers. She replied "Can you snap shot a picture of the title? Do you have AAA?" I sent her a picture of the title. I was charged w/ these emails and I refuse to pay. Please see attachments.Business response
03/03/2022
Dear Ms. ********,
Although my business is governed by another entity, I will respond within the parameters governed by that entity in order to continue to preserve the attorney/client privilege at my peril. This confidentiality is mandated by the Business and Professions Code. I do believe claimant has waived that privilege when citing or better said, mis-citing our correspondence with the claimant and providing attorney/client emails. However, in the abundance of caution and what I believe as my ethical obligation to claimant, I will refrain from citing or providing emails substantiating my representation of the actual facts. In her complaint it states, "please see attachments". None of those attachments were provided to me by your entity. Further, you gave me five days to respond to a letter which was mailed on February 23, 2022, not the date of your letter. I received your correspondence on February 28, 2022. It was impossible for me to respond within five days from the date of your letter, as I received it after the five days had expired.
The claimant's statements made within her complaint are unequivocally false. I and my staff have always responded to each and every call and email made by claimant. I have every single email from and to claimant which will verify my contentions are accurate and true.
I continued to offer claimant my advice to assist her in enforcing the terms of her stipulated judgment well after her case was completed and a Notice of Withdrawal was filed with the court. I provided her avenues she could take to change title of the vehicle awarded to her in the judgment that she signed. I could not, nor would I alter a filed judgment. The fact that she wasn't, or isn't happy with my advice, doesn't make the advise inaccurate.
Further, a payment plan was offered to claimant. That was and is confirmed in an email dated December 21, 2022 to the claimant from our billing department. Claimant was also provided a courtesy credit if claimant brought her outstanding balance current. We had previously written off the interest on claimant's outstanding balance. Verification of that fact is also contained in an email correspondence with claimant on July 24, 2022.
Claimant was sent every pleading and correspondence throughout my firm's representation of claimant. All of the emails by and between claimant and me and the paralegal assigned to claimant's matter was already in claimant's possession. Another copy was sent to her by our front office assistant after the conclusion of our representation of claimant. A third copy was sent to claimant via Dropbox yesterday, March 2, 2022. Again, all copies have been at no cost to claimant.
Claimant's account has been brought current and zeroed out. Her claim that she refuses to pay the bill is perplexing. There is no bill for those services provided to claimant.
I hope this correspondence is satisfactory. If you request additional information, please let me know. Please keep in mind that I have a governing entity which requires I maintain confidentiality of communications between me and claimant.
Very Truly,
******** ** *****, Attorney at Law
***** ***** ****Customer response
03/06/2022
Good morning, Ms. ********.I am rejecting this response because:I need M. ***** to clarify here statements about fees and the release of my entire case file. Please see letter below.Thank you.*** *****************************************
Dear Ms. ********,
Thank you for posting M. ******* reply. May I please address these two items:
FEES: M. ***** says “Claimant's account has been brought current and zeroed out. Her claim that she refuses to pay the bill is perplexing. There is no bill for those services provided to claimant.”
If I am understanding it correctly, the $350 she charged me in their January 31, 2022 Statement sent by her staff on 2/19/2022 is now ZERO?
From: ******* **** ************************
Date: Sat, Feb 19, 2022 at 11:48 AM
Subject: ********** Monthly Billing Statement
To: ***.**********@gmail.com <***.**********@gmail.com>
For your convenience, your bill is attached to this message. To make your payment online, please click on the link below.
******************************************
Please review the attached bill and submit your payment.
Any payments that have been applied to your account after the date on your billing statement, will be indicated on the following month's statement. Please make your payments before the last day of the month to avoid any issues with late charges and/or missing payments not being reflected on the current statement.
Thank you.
********* Billing Department
Note: The attached bill is in PDF file format. Adobe Acrobat Reader is necessary to view this file. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, please download the free reader from the Adobe website ****************************************************** *nd install it on your computer.
CASE FILE: Regarding the Final Judgment document that I have been asking from
M. ***** since 9/2021, the document has been emailed to me on 1/19/2022.
M. ***** also says “A third copy was sent to claimant via Dropbox yesterday, March 2, 2022. Again, all copies have been at no cost to claimant.”
This is the email sent by her Staff and I am unable to open the file.
From: ******** ***** **** ******** **********************
Date: Tue, Mar 1, 2022 at 10:34 AM
Subject: ******** ***** ****** ******** *******" with you
To: <***.**********@gmail.com>
Therefore, I would like to go to their office and bring a flash drive where her staff can copy my entire case file.
I will let you know when I finally receive my Entire Case File in the flash drive.
Thank you very much for your help.
*** ******
3/6/2022
********************************
PS: here’s the email sent by her staff re. Final Judgment document. I am also sending you a copy of the email exchanges I have with M. ***** since 12/21/2021 until 1/19/2022.
From: ******** ****** **************************
Date: Wed, Jan 19, 2022 at 9:16 AM
Subject: **** ****** - Judgment Documents
To: ***.**********@gmail.com <***.**********@gmail.com>
Cc: ******** ***** <******@************.com>, ****** ****** **************************
Ms. ******,
Attached hereto please find the following:
Appearance Stipulation and Waiver,
Declaration for Default;
Stipulation and Waiver of Final Declaration of Disclosure;
Judgment; and
Notice of Entry of Judgment.
I apologize for the delay in getting these to you.
Kindly,
***** ******* ********* ** ******** ** ****** ******** ** ***
***** ***** - A Family Law Firm
***** ****** ******* ***** *** ********* ********** *****
**********************************
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